What are the traffic conditions like in Beijing and are they going to cause any problems during the Olympic Games?

Traffic in Beijing is frequently snarled, in part because of the excessive number of low-grade taxis and other similar vehicles that the city has licensed in recent years, the shortage of north-south roadways, and metro and light-rail links. The phasing out of the small, uncomfortable Xiali taxis, manufactured in Tianjin, which in 2001 accounted for 77.5% of the 67,000 taxis licensed to operate in Beijing, was markedly accelerated in early 2002.